Tag Archives: isolation tank

Some days you wake up and you’re ready to tackle the world. The feet hit the ground fast, the alarm is off after the first alert instead of six snoozes, and your eyes are opened wide. The energy is flowing through your shoulders, your chest, your core, and finally through your legs and feet. You feel invincible. These days are special because they’re days you feel happy and get the best work done. You cherish these moments because you’re not sure the next time you’ll wake up feeling so good.

Other days are a disaster as soon as the alarm beeps for the first time. The forty five minutes of extra alerts you have set go off and you don’t give a shit. You don’t want to open your eyes and the inner dialogue goes something like this “Fuck this. I don’t want to get up. Why do I have to get up? Fuck this.” It’s a struggle and you know it. People who don’t understand or experience this think “What’s the matter cupcake? Suck it up buttercup.” But to you, it’s a battle that’s going to take every ounce of energy within. These days you don’t want to look at people. You don’t smile. You don’t feel motivated. You just want to fall and not get up.

As a business owner, a generally positive person, and a self motivated man, I experience exactly what I wrote above. Some days are awesome and some days I wish I didn’t have to leave my bedroom. Some days being a stay at home father are the greatest days ever and an absolute joy and other days I feel like running away. I go through ups and downs and it affects everything in my life. Some months business is good and others, when I’m down, it sucks. There are days when I run classes and I am on fire and super positive. There are also days when I don’t want to be there or look at anyone in class. During the down days I’ll listen to positive affirmation tapes on the way to the gym but often, it doesn’t help. I use techniques I learned from Tony Robbins about changing my state, and it doesn’t help. I just do my best to make sure everyone enjoys their workout.

Some days you can’t peel me off the couch. I simply do not want to get up. Other days I get massive amounts of work done. Some days I’m super nice to my wife and others, she hates my guts because I’m an asshole. I’m not the only one who goes through this and there are many business owners I know who feel the same way. Is it the stress, the work that needs to be done, or the unknown about future business? In my opinion, it’s energy.

Inside of each of us there is energy that we have that fuels our life. Introverts often use their energy up faster than extroverts and they each recharge their energy in different ways. Introverts recharge by being alone and in solitude (I am an introvert). Extroverts recharge by being with other people and doing things. But when you are a person who has many people looking to you for knowledge, love, direction, motivation, purpose, passion, and energy, it’s a different story.

Imagine yourself, if you’re in the position of having many people’s eyes on you, as an outlet in the wall. You get your energy from the battery that nobody sees. It’s tucked behind the wall and it runs from solar power. Each day the cells from the solar panels recharge the energy (Being alone, meditating, exercising, therapy, etc). People, whether they’re clients, kids, a spouse, or friends and family all plug into your sockets. They need energy to refuel their motivation, or their love, or their passion, or their direction, and you are the one they have chosen as that source. It’s a huge responsibility. Picture a power plant and everything that goes on in the daily operations. Millions of people, their homes, refrigerators, and more are depending on the plants ability to provide their needs. When you are a chosen one, it’s extremely difficult to maintain a high energy level. You need to recharge and often, it doesn’t happen fast enough.

Part of my problem with being up and down is that I generally do not get a long enough break to recharge my power. I do very well when I am alone, with quiet, and can relax. I say no when I should say yes, but if I did say yes I’d create more leaks of valuable energy. One place I recharge my energy is at Sakura Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in Dover. I find the physical nature of Jiu Jitsu and the challenging tasks we face in each class as a great way to recharge my energy. Why? I plug in to an outlet of energy. Nobody is plugged into my outlet and my battery is draining of the stored energy. I’m connected to a source of energy entirely separate from my power plant. This is why people come to exercise at Activate Fitness. They unplug and connect to me, giving their power plants a rest.

We all are givers and receivers of energy and it is in the recharging our own personal energy that will make our lives the best they can be. If you don’t recharge with clean burning fuel, the downs you experience will be the most significant part of your life. Clean fuel is exercise, healthy eating, meditation, floatation, ice baths, Epson salt baths, grounding in nature, camping, hiking, and anything with complete solitude. The way we operate is directly related to our energy levels and how those energy levels are is related directly to how much time you have to recharge yourself.

The more plugs in our sockets, the more energy we give away. Failing to recover and recharge will drain your soul energy and cause you to wear out faster than normal people do. Burn out in entrepreneurs and high level jobs (and parenthood) is very common because we forget to recharge. We must learn how to say NO and be okay with that. It’s not selfish, it’s vital for health. If someone were to say it’s selfish, they are the one being selfish. They want your energy and can’t appreciate the fact that you need to recover. Learn how to recharge your energy and make it a priority. This is a major problem in my life that I am working on. As a stay at home dad, a husband, and a business owner it’s hard for me to find time that I spend alone. Looking back through the past year or two with the fluctuations in my energy, I can see that I haven’t given myself enough time to recharge. I completely believe in the saying “Put your own mask on first” and in order to fully live activated and awake and alive, I must do such. We all must put our masks on first. Without doing so, we’ll never be able to give of ourselves completely.

Find time in your life to do what you need to do to be activated and your best. Remember, it’s okay to say NO. Actually it’s vital to your happiness and well being.

On my ideal day off there would be several relaxation based therapeutic moments. First, I’d go workout to get some energy blown off and set the tone for having a positive and uplifting day. Then I’d go to a floatation center and do a ninety minute float, maybe even two hours or more. After my float therapy was complete, I’d get some coffee and write in my book or a blog post. After I came to an end of my writing energy, I’d go visit Bonnie at Healing Energy to clear and open my chakras and fully release my vibrant positive energy. I’d finish my day out with a movie and head home to read.

It seems like a boring day for many people, especially extroverts who love being around other people, but as an introvert this is my ideal day off and alone time. There is a lot of power in the schedule I just mentioned. There is a lot of energy increasing and relaxing moments and this is something we all need more of. How often do we truly kick our feet up and relax? It’s not often that we take a day to be alone and rejuvenate. If you ask many people, they’d say they don’t need it and floating or healing touch may sound stupid to them. However, relaxation Therapy is a must.

We’re often overwhelmed with work and different tasks. We are made up of energy and we give and take energy from everything around us all the time. An overworked father of three who commutes several hours each day is killing himself with stress and unhealthy practices. A stay at home mom of two who doesn’t work out, doesn’t get to shower, doesn’t get to leave to see other people, doesn’t get alone time, and is constantly being sucked of her energy is also slowly killing herself with stress and unhealthy practices.

The body is like a gas tank of energy. You only store so much fuel. I’m not talking about fuel from food and exercise that helps the blood pump and the body operate. I’m talking about energy.

Bonnie the other day told me that my kids have their etherical umbilical cords attached to me and my wife all the time. They are consistently draining us of our vital energy and without replenishing it, we don’t operate at our best self. The same goes for the members of my gym, or anyone’s clients or employees. They are attaching to your outlet of energy and borrowing it. If you’re a manager or a CEO or a daycare employee or a very busy consultant you are being sucked of your energy much more than other people, but we’re all giving and taking. The problem comes when there is nothing left to take or give.

This is where relaxation therapy comes in. As I am a big fan of what many people would call “woo-woo” practices, I understand the importance of floatation, healing touch, meditation, and bioenergetic release. My relaxation therapy is few and far between but when I do set the time aside, I’m much better emotionally, mentally, and feel better physically.

In order to fill your fuel tank with energy that is vital to living your best life you must set time aside for relaxation therapy. Especially introverted people. Most introverted people refuel their body with energy by staying home instead of going to the party. They might sit down and read a book or take a nap or just go for a walk alone without interacting with anybody. This is an excellent way to reclaim your lost energy but, relaxation therapeutic practices can fill you with much more positive and vibrant energy.

Meditation is the easiest relaxation therapy practice you can do. It’s essentially free and you can do it anywhere. If you don’t have time or money to visit a float center, a healing touch location, or other energy increasing practices, then meditation is something you should do. Even if it’s for a minute or two. The more time you have to sit quietly and meditate the better, but if you’re swamped with time, a minute can make a positive change in how you feel.

Relaxation therapy is often seen as behavioral therapy to combat stress and fatigue, but it goes beyond the physical. We are energetic beings and just like a light bulb, we can dim over time and lose our vibrant energy. Many people suffering from anxiety, stress, depression, and chronic fatigue would benefit greatly from relaxing and not just by themselves but with a trainer or therapist or other person. Staying home alone to regroup is good but if you have underlying problems, I highly suggest seeing a professional.

I often see posts written about the importance of relaxing. If you want to be successful, they say relax. If you want to achieve greatness, they say relax. If you want to feel better and get stronger or lose weight, they say relax. But how often do we listen to this advice and intentionally DO something about it? Our scope of relaxation is the couch, beer, and the television or a book. That’s good but we must actively seek other ways to relax and refuel our energy.

My personal favorites, as mentioned, are meditation, floatation, and healing touch. QiGong, Tai Chi, Anger Release Therapy, Acupuncture, Massage, Yoga, Exercise, Walking In Nature, and Direct Writing are other methods of relaxation therapy. For more information on how to relax or other thoughts about helping you live your best life, fill out the form below.

Expressing our emotions isn’t seen as something we should freely do. Often we’re told “don’t talk like that” or “stay positive and never say that”. If a man or woman cuts us off in traffic and we ignite in a rage and release hateful words, our passengers think we’re weak and don’t have control of our lives. In the face of tragedy we keep most of our emotions in, men especially. Men crying is not something you see every day. This is wrong and it’s bad for our health and it’s slowly killing us.

These emotions in which we fail to release can manifest as disease inside of our body. We can begin to experience mental illness, fatigue, lack of attention, depression, cancer, heart disease, kidney stones, and more. I admit I am bad at releasing my emotions. As an introvert and a leader, a strength coach and business owner, it’s hard for me to accept that I can break down and cry, get angry, say violent or hateful things and then move on while my emotions have been released. I believe much of the tension in my neck, back, and hips is the result of built up emotions.

When I go to float, I spasm uncontrollably on occasions and feel much of my tension being released. My body doesn’t naturally want to store the negative energy that’s built up, but when we don’t consciously act on releasing it, build up occurs. Many people who have experienced healing “miracles” are said to have changed their thoughts and released emotions that have been inside for long amounts of time.

I think it’s important for everyone to find away to let go of those emotions. Sometimes it’s as simple as feeling that emotion, accepting it, and then letting it go out the mind. Other times we need therapy. Anger-Release Therapy, Float Therapy, Acupuncture, Exercise, and more. One thing I’ve done several times before is to scream at the top of my lungs for a few minutes, like the animal we are, with a loud and deep roar. It’s amazing how well you feel after spending time on focusing to release these emotions. Lately, this topic of discussion has fascinated me and you will see more as I continue to do the work on my self.

Floating is one of those things that when you talk about it or mention it to people who’ve never done it before, you get weird faces or questions like:
“Will I get claustrophobic?” “Do they clean the water?” “Why do you go in there?” “Is it expensive?”

Floating has been around for over 50 years but recently it has gained some attention as more and more float tank centers are opening. Personally, I’ve been floating for about two years now and it has made a tremendous change in my life. I first went into the tank after hearing Joe Rogan talk about it on his podcast. I also got quite into finding out why Rogan thought so highly of it, so I did some research and found it’s good for helping injuries heal and reducing stress. After a knee injury I decided it was time to give it a go. From that first time I have been hooked and I try to get one in whenever my schedule allows it.

I’m not going to tell you why you should try out the float tank in this post. If you want to know why (or more about them in general) you can read these posts I wrote below:

In this post I will go over the complete guide to your first time in the float tank.

If you’re ready to make an appointment or you already have one set up, here’s the few simple things you need to know.

1. Don’t TRY to get anything out of it.

Trying to get a result from laying in a tank is counterproductive of it’s true benefits. The tank is designed to eliminate any of the sensory input we deal with on a constant basis. We are always using our hearing, our sight, our touch, our sense of smell and nowadays we are bombarded with overloaded sensory input. We have phones, music, co-workers, children, cars, driving, billboards, televisions, and much more always begging for our attention. The most beneficial part of floating in a float tank is all of that is completely eliminated for the duration of time you choose to float. The sensory deprivation you experience is like a renewal of the mind. A resetting of your senses and a cleansing of your stresses. For this, do not try to get anything out it. Just be.

It’s hard for many of us to stop what we’re doing and listen to our thoughts and be alone in complete serenity with our minds. The float tank will open your mind to many things we don’t recognize in our subconscious mind.

2. Don’t Be Over Hydrated.

If you’re going to float for an hour or more, make sure you’re not loaded with water that will make you want to urinate. This can totally distract you from experiencing the awesome benefits and bliss inside the tank. There are toilets in every float room. Use it right before you go in.

3. Eliminate Use of Electronics Prior

For about an hour before you go to the float center, try to avoid stuffing your face in your phone or computer and begin the relaxation process. The overloaded stress from electronics can make it harder to relax when it comes time to float.

4. Don’t Listen to Music

Many float centers offer the option to listen to meditation music or other forms of relaxing music. For the first time, do not do it. The experience you get in the tank will be like nothing you’ve ever been through. Adding music to it the first time can distract you from allowing the brain waves to settle in the appropriate levels.

5. Avoid Caffeine Before Hand

Try not to have any coffee within a few hours of your float. “Caffeine may increase heart rate, body temperature, blood flow to the skin & extremities, blood pressure, blood sugar levels, stomach acid secretion and production of urine (diuretic).” (http://www.uhs.umich.edu/caffeine)

We don’t want this. We want our body to be as relaxed as possible.

6. Avoid Eating Anything Before Hand

Having food in your stomach before you begin your float can alter your experience. When the body is busy digesting food, the mind is busy and far from the relaxed state we want to be in. Going in a tank in the fasted state can decrease brain activity and help you get much more out of your first float.

7. Do not Shave Anything Before Going to Float

For at least two days prior to floating, make sure you do not shave any part of your body before going in. The high salt content with sting and will definitely affect your float in a negative way.

8. Be prepared to cover your scrapes and cuts.

If you have any scrapes, cracked fingers, or abrasions, call your float center and ask if they supply q-tips and Vaseline. Again, the high salt content will burn and sting and will keep your mind occupied and away from the benefits of floating.

9. Go For 60 Minutes Minimum

90 minutes is a REM cycle in your brain. It can take about 40 minutes in the tank for your brain to stop producing Alpha waves which are what we experience on a constant basis except for sleep, depending on how relaxed you were prior to going in. This means it’s possible that the first 40 minutes of a float you are completely aware of everything and not in the Theta and more relaxing brain wave state. Anything under 60 minutes and I believe you are not getting the majority of benefits a float has on your mind and body. After your first float at 60 minutes, never go less than 90.

10. Enjoy Your Solitude

This is why we go float. To be completely alone and uninterrupted by anything outside of our minds. How often are you able to simply unplug from life and be completely alone? Not often, so enjoy the time you have by yourself and completely relax yourself. Don’t fuss over deadlines or schedules or where you are supposed to be the next hour. Just BE.

“Don’t try to be good, don’t try to be a meditator, don’t try to be spiritual, enlightened, or perfect. Hold nothing. Just be.” – Unknown

Floating has the power to change your life from the very first time you experience what’s inside. You can open a whole new part of your mind that you didn’t know existed and you can rejuvenate your mind and body and enjoy the easiest form of meditation known. Since I started floating two years ago, my entire mentality has changed. My life has dramatically improved and my mind works better than ever. My energy levels have increased with my improved diet and exercise, my knee injury is gone, and my peacefulness which evaded my life for years has come back and made life more enjoyable. If you have any questions, shoot me a message below and I can help you get the most out of your next float. Comment below about your favorite experience in the tank!

It’s no secret that I’m a die hard fan of flotation therapy. Being in the isolation tank is like leaving the world and all of life’s stressors for an hour or more. Ever since I started going over a year ago, I fell in love with the benefits of being inside the tank. Each time I come out of a tank, I feel renewed and recharged, quiet, calm, and still, in peace with the world around me. Being in the tank removes ones ego. There is nothing to do except think (or listen), nobody to see, nothing to hear, just you alone with your deep true-ness.

Here are the 5 Reasons Why Float Therapy Will Change Your Life:

1. You’ll relieve STRESS fast

Have a hard workout? Compete in a marathon or Ironman competition? Do you have a very stressful job or life in general? Floating is an extremely effective stress eliminator. Being alone with just your mind allows the bones, muscles, organs, and more forget about stress and become completely relaxed. After a long day at work or with your multiple kids, floating is like heaven. The only way I can describe the feeling after floating is complete bliss and total joy. Usually though, you won’t see this effect right away. The first time you float you can’t stop thinking about the atmosphere you’re in, but you still get most of the benefits. An hour in the tank is the equivalent to 4 hours of sleep.

2. You’ll detox your body, and MIND!

By eliminating outside stress from gravity, noise, sight, and more, you essentially allow the body to completely relax. This allows your nervous system to slow down and the calmness of the central nervous system allows your body to repair other parts of your body as well. As we go about our daily life and consume stress from various areas, some of our body’s systems are not functioning properly. One being our digestion system. Stress can cause poor digestion, but eliminating that stress will allow your body to repair the digestion system and eliminate various toxins. Also, the magnesium in the Epsom Salt has over one hundred health benefits, including a positive effect on our digestion. Other benefits of this detoxing is seen through gravity being eliminated as you float in the epsom solution. This allows your body’s aches and pains from tight muscles or soreness to gradually go away.

3. You’ll Find Your True Self

Being alone with no sight, sound, or other stimuli, you’ll begin to look within your mind and expand your consciousness. While meditating, you begin to look within for answers to your life’s questions. For many people with high stress jobs, kids, and poor health conditions, it’s hard to ever reach a state of mind that allows for inner knowing. Inside the tank, as you’re removed from those circumstances, you’re stillness and peacefulness allows you to breathe properly and quiet the mind faster. This helps you reach a high level of meditation in minutes. From what I’ve read and listened to, most people who believe they have fallen asleep actually don’t. Instead, they’ve reach a theta state of relaxation that can create tremendous self growth.

4. Your creativity will skyrocket

As you’re in these trance like states, when conscious of your self (since it’s easy to drift into the sub-conscious), you can start to question yourself as to what you want to create, should create, or work through areas of difficulty. I remember a time when I was floating and I was stuck with no writing ability. I was caught in self-perceived writer’s block, only to come out of the tank and begin a 55 day span of not missing a blog post update. My creativity felt like it was released through clarity of mind and reduction of stress, which was helped through by the float. Many entrepreneurs and artists that have used the float tank have said they do so for creative purposes.

5. You “Get Away From it All”

So many people when faced with stressful situations or lives claim they wish they can get away from it all. Go on vacation and completely relax and hide from “life”. Well, your life will change once you know that you can visit a tank center and “get away from it all” for an hour or more, WHENEVER you want! This benefit goes along with stress reduction and detoxing your mind, but for some serious introverted people a float session is a major game changer and energy producer. As introverts, we tend to get sapped of our energy when we face stressful situations, people, work, parties, and more. Being alone in complete nothingness is just what the doctor ordered for us! Trust me, as a major introvert, the tank is a rejuvenation miracle for my mind, my energy, and my purposeful momentum in life.

Float therapy will forever be a great part of my life. The power that John C Lilly discovered so many years ago, still to this day, helps many people find their trueself, helps people relax and rejuvenate, and much more. An hour in the tank is all one needs to help recharge their batteries and get the mind rolling again. With all of the surrounding forces of nature and technology, even people, that we deal with every day, it’s amazing when you can simply walk away from it all and float through your inner heavens.

As always, make sure you sign up for my email newsletter on the side of the screen and ask some questions below in the comments for more info on floating, fitness, or life in general. Stay tuned for some HUGE news!

The battle between my ego self and my true self continues to wage an inner war. Each day I accept my goodness and release gratitude to the universe, and affirm positive thoughts, but I still find myself at times controlled by the ego and tied down by its emotion and powers, and feel the frustration that results from the inner turmoil. This inner battle is an ongoing war the entire planet faces and, as many meta-physicians and self-help gurus agree with, the world is controlled by the ego mind, blocking out our true and collective consciousness. If you look around the world you can see the ego holding the power over us by the way we live day-to-day.

Wars are abundant, materialism and the status it supposedly creates are ways we judge each others so claimed self-worth, and the negative emotions we all experience are created through the needs of our ego selves. Allowing our ego to control our minds and lives is the foundation of our unhappiness, feelings of low self-worth, and battles with self-confidence. The ego creates our fears, our seriousness, our roadblocks, and nothing good comes out of allowing our ego to control the days of our lives.

In order to live a life of presence, happiness, abundance, and gratitude, we have to accept the struggles created by the ego and take control of our true self and allow our true, authentic, self to run the show. Here are 23 ways to become awake and alive, release the control of the ego, and begin to move toward your higher good, and your higher purpose:

1. Accept that Less is indeed More and Find Happiness in this truth.

Most of the time, we fight to have new toys. We stand in lines for new iPhones and buy all the accessories. Our cars are not taken care of and when they “break”, we buy new ones. Shiner and fancier versions to make our neighbors or friends and family jealous. The more we consume the fatter we get, the sicker we get, the more we have to work, and the further we get from living a true and authentic life. While there are millionaires out there that are not controlled by the ego and have found amazing joy in their abundance, most of us go about creating this the wrong way. We use negative affirmations to the plentiful abundance of wealth and consume the wrong things in life. Until you reach a level of amazing wealth, the less you have, the more you can align yourself with your authentic being.

2. Happiness, what we seem to chase with more stuff, is abundant already, inside it sits.

Our pursuit of happiness has been controlled by mass propaganda and our consumerism society and created ideas that happiness comes from abundant wealth, getting everything we want, and from our latest gadgets. Unfortunately this is a great lie of life and we have to realize, and accept, that our happiness is inside of us already. Choosing to believe it is the first step.

3. Solitude is an important part of our lives.

Listening to what your inner guide is telling you is very hard to do when we’re distracted. This can possibly be a reason, what conspiracy theorists believe, why we’re a materialistic society. We’re thrown negative news, fear mongering news, and new toys and sales all the time by big corporations to keep us distracted from our trueness. Finding your true purpose and beliefs will only come from being alone or with a group of extremely quiet people. Libraries are nearly empty because we as society view them as meaningless. Meditation is not a common household occurrence and isolation tanks are very taboo because we’ve been told to sit in solitude is boring. Find free time to be with yourself and make it a point to fight temptations.

4. Thinking is all but lost in today’s world.

I can look at my bookshelf and find works of “the world’s greatest thinkers”. The common thing to them all is the lack of technology. Plato, Aristotle, Einstein, Twain, and Edison (and more) really didn’t have distractions through fancy gadgets like we do today and they all practiced great amounts of solitude. They set time out of their daily life to think about the things that consumed their minds. Meditation can be a great way to think, although most people believe we shouldn’t listen to our thoughts while meditating, I find it a great time to center your ideas and think deeply, and authentically.

5. Have a Commitment

To live authentically is to make a commitment to living authentically. You won’t just say you’re going to live a life of minimal ego involvement and become awake and alive. You have to commit to the process, the hard battles, and stick to your vision in order to live the life of your true self. When the going gets tough, most people succumb to the ego force and allow it to consume their lives again. Having a deep commitment to live your true purpose and the path of your inner self will help your battle with the ego become an easier task.

6. Take Risks to Tackle The Ego

When I started training clients I worked in my driveway and did not make enough money to afford a studio gym or warehouse space, but I didn’t let that stop me and I took the risk of moving forward, ego free, and allowed my true self to guide me. I trusted the process and knew my true self and purpose would take care of any roadblocks. This trust, and part of my commitment, led me to an MMA studio and now my own space, and in the near future I will allow my trust to continue to guide my true self to the next stage of development, risks included. Nothing will ever come from safety except an ego view of “safety”. To move forward, you need to take some risk.

7. There Is a Voice Inside That Speaks The Truth

Listen to it.

As I read some spiritual books that involve living the life our true authenticity, being awake and alive, I find chapters or paragraphs that talk about listening to the inner guide, the voice inside, your heart, and how much of the wisdom it releases is aligned with our true purpose. Call your heart, call it intuition, whatever you believe it to be, listen to what it says. If you were at the crossroads in a battle with your true self and your ego self and you needed to know what to do, ask your heart. Begin by relaxing and centering yourself with some deep breathing or meditation. Once you feel you have relaxed and now are in control of the thoughts coming and going in your mind, ask the question. Every question is different but for example, “Is this business decision aligned with my true purpose?” or “Tell me what you want me to know about this situation.”

The answers will come to you. Usually you’ll be bombarded with conscious thoughts and subconscious thoughts. Sometimes the first thing you “hear” is the answer and sometimes it’s not. It might take time to center those thoughts, but as you continue to use this powerful tool you’ll begin to see clearer.

My days used to be filled with complaining about the government. Calling rich people greedy crooks and blaming everyone else around me for all the trouble I got myself into. It wasn’t my fault, I thought, and I looked for anything to focus my sights on that took away my inner pain. I was foolish and slightly crazy for the way I lived and I used the excuses you see everyday on your Facebook Feed. It’s the government’s fault I don’t have a job. How am I ever going to get ahead when I’m taxed for almost half my money? Why oh why does this always happen to me?

To put it simple, my level of consciousness was at the point of survival and nothing more. My focus wasn’t on prosperity and abundance or entrepreneurship and fitness. It was focused on how to do I survive today, where is my next meal coming from, and why did I get the short end of the stick?

But inside I knew there was more to life than the pain I was putting myself through. See, all the hardships and pain I went through was all a mindset. I was broke because I had a broke mindset. I hated rich people or people who “had their shit together” because my mindset was focused on hiding and not giving a damn. I created my life and people do the same each day.

It never ends, the cycle of pain we put ourselves through. Unless we educate ourselves and expand our minds. Once I realized there was more to life than complaining of being sick, tired, and broke, I realized that I could use my mind to change my life. And so it began, my journey to becoming awake and alive.

Once I got things back on track and had a few pep talks with people close to me, it was time to get to work. Without having a plan or a mentor to show me the way, I simply walked the first step and never looked back. Here are 5 things I used to help myself become awake and alive:

1. Books on Positive Thinking

Before I first opened The Secret and Think and Grow Rich, I didn’t know a thing about the Laws of the Universe or the Success Mindset. I was a lost cause just floating through a normal 9 to 5 life. My days were all the same. I would wake up, go to work, come home, and sit in front of the TV wasting my precious moments away. Passion and purpose eluded me up until my late twenties. I never even thought about it or knew such a thing existed. That’s until I started asking Google the question “why am I here?” Because I just wasn’t happy with the Groundhog Days of life.

These books and others on Positive Thinking opened my eyes to a whole new world and I jumped in with every ounce of energy within. I was flushing through these books one a week, sometimes two or three. My mind was expanding and thoughts and ideas starting racing around my mind. At first the excitement hid the pain but eventually it caught up. Here I was, 27 or 28 years old and after wasting 7 years of my life away hiding from the forces of nature, I come to find out that we are all capable enough and strong enough to live whatever lives we wish to fulfill.

It crushed me. But, I climbed to the next level of consciousness.

2. Nutrition & Exercise

As a former Fast Food Junkie who was once 60 pounds overweight, my nutrition was grease and my exercise was 12 ounce curls of watery beers like Miller or Coors Light. A climb up the steps and I was done, sweating, panting, exhausted. A shame for a young man to be so out of shape. A disgrace to my inner soul who always threw out the warning signs and hard questions, but an ego which refused to listen.

My unhappiness with my life always found a way to my gut. I looked down and was sadden by what I had become and I knew to ever live my life to the fullest, I had to get in shape. So immediately I went to work on cleaning up my nutrition and exercise and within two years I lost 60 pounds.

Some things that helped me were- 1. Writing Down my Nutrition Intake. 2. Staying Consistent with Exercise. 3. Realizing my pain of being fat was not acceptable any longer.

3. Writing

The more I learned, the more I read, the more my fingers went to the keyboard and the more I began writing. When I was a reclusive dumbass I used to write a little here and there. I wrote a short novella about Aliens and stuff once when I was depressed with my situation and lost it in a flood. The other stuff was feelings and thoughts of how fucked up I was. But when I started developing a higher consciousness I began writing about life, positive thoughts and actions, fitness, and more. The more I wrote, the better I felt, the smarter I became, and the more motivated I was to live a passionate and purposeful life.

4. Metaphysics

Now I’m definitely not a scholar nor do I have a college education, but I believe the works I’ve read, listened to, and watched that are considered “metaphysical” have helped me grow more as a person than anything else. My journey to becoming awake and alive would never exist if it wasn’t for a few books and podcasts I’ve listened to by people like Wayne Dyer, Stuart Wilde, Aristotle, Paulo Coelho, and more. These books and audios have helped me expand my mind in search of meaning and taught me some valuable lessons about the way things are. The Tao Te Ching was one of the most inspirational and educational books of my journey and other works taught me the power of using your mind for the greater good of all. Learning about “awakening” “consciousness” and the power of intention pushed me further down the line to places that I don’t fully understand yet but that intrigue me to continue learning.

5. Isolation Tanks/Meditation

Through what I learned from metaphysical authors, books, and audios, I began my journey with meditation and mindfulness as I searched for more, to go further down the line of becoming awake and alive. This also led me to the isolation tank which is a powerful tool to use for meditation and mindfulness. Basically we are made up of two minds. The ego self and the Inner Self. The ego is the self that gets angry when you lose ten dollars out of your wallet. The Inner Self is the self that doesn’t mind you lost ten dollars. It says “I hope he who finds it benefits more than I would have.” Inside the tank, the ego (which controls the majority of our minds, decisions, and lives) doesn’t exist. Inside, you are awake and alive to the fullest extent of living. The ego is gone. Your true self comes out of the woodwork and lets you in on secrets of your mind and in turn, you expand your consciousness to higher levels. Meditation works much the same way, although more difficult without consistent practice.

These five tools have been great educators and motivators on the reality we live in today. Much of our “knowing” is backed by lies and propaganda. It is your responsibility to see that for yourself and learn the truth of who you are, to expand your own consciousness. If you want to start your journey to becoming awake and alive sign up below for my FREE 10 Day Life Transformation Program. Each day you’ll receive an email that teaches you ways to open your mind and allow the goodness we deserve to flow freely into your life. Sign up now.

Michael Corona is a local entrepreneur who owns Activate Fitness and Hackettstown Barbell Club at 150 Mountain Avenue in Hackettstown, NJ. He is a Fat Loss Coach, Business & Success Coach, writer of two blogs, author of Becoming Awake and Alive and The Essential Essays of Activate Fitness, husband and father of two. To hire Michael to help you grow to your next level whether it’s life, business, or mindset please email him at ActivateFitnessPT@gmail.com

Ever since I walked out beyond the status quo of the mass mentality and decided to improve my life I’ve been making my own path. Accepting nothing less but my best, my vision, my own way and no longer allowing the ways of society to influence my desired outcome. It hasn’t been easy either. I’ve lost friends, money, time, and completely shifted my entire life to begin this journey, but I’m trekking forward one day at a time.

Below are 3 ways you can start to make your own path in life and let go of the “way it should be”.

1. Create Your Own Curriculum of Study

Let’s face it. If you’re not learning you’re not growing, and growing is one of the most important things we can do to make our own path. When you begin to change your life through a series of choices and actions, you’re starting on your own path. Everybody in life has a different journey and while you may think an outcome you desire is the way to your ultimate life, it can just be a mile long moment until a choice or action completely changes your direction. For that, focusing on one area of study might not be the best bet. Developing a broad curriculum of study will help you increase your knowledge and wisdom in a variety of different areas, some that you may not feel are important at the moment, but in the future can be.

My studies lately have ranged from consciousness exploration in the isolation tank to marketing to creative writing and even Taoism. I have books on gardening, home improvement and maintenance, leadership, yoga, and much more. Each day I am learning something new that is helping me clear the way of my path in life. Find your passions, study them, and then implement what you takeaway.

2. Remove Yourself From The Status Quo

When I go to events, picnics, parties, and other functions I always see people talking about politics, the horrible job the President is doing, unfortunate events and accidents, poor luck, bad health, sore knees, increased taxes, and other gibberish that block the path in life I choose. I may seem awkward by removing myself from the small negative talk to be alone, but in fact I am walking away because I don’t want those thoughts and feelings to grab on to my purpose and slow me down.

I hardly ever watch the news, listen to news radio, read the newspaper or online articles involving current affairs, and I certainly do not allow organized religion to influence my decisions. Funny thing is, I was raised by the laws of organized religion and it didn’t lead me on my purposeful path. I’m not bashing religion or beliefs, it’s just what it taught me was not right for my own path. It could be that way for you as well.

The status quo looks at things in negative light and that is why we must remove ourselves from the mass thinking. Most people look at the isolation tank as odd, they look at spiritual journeys to faraway lands as crazy, self education and crossfit as different, and gay marriage as weird because we’ve been told to listen to “what they say” and anything else is unacceptable. Expanding our minds to understanding the things in life we’re not taught is a way to remove yourself from the status quo.

3. Question Everything

Was JFK really murdered? If he really was, was he shot by one man? What did the ancient Egyptians know about construction that we are failing to see, or hiding? Does getting a job based on your college degree mean you’ll live a successful life? Will yoga and running help you live longer? What does positive thinking do for our life? Is it worth reading this book? Does doing the work on something you won’t get paid for help you get paid later in life? What can I remove from my life and throw away?

Why do I exist? What is my purpose? What am I passionate about?

This might seem insane, and again that’s status quo thinking, but the fact is we’re being lied to about a lot of stuff in life and some of our actions are the result of subliminal programming we’ve received through daily interactions with society. Several years ago there were studies showing how Saturated Fats were bad for your heart. Now, scientists are saying more fat is better. Studies come and go and results change, opinions change, and so does influence. How many studies are backed by different groups with a different agenda that have an impact on the results?

To make your own path in life you need to Question EVERYTHING and see if you align with it and actually believe it. Too many people are zombies to the lies of society and will passionately stand behind them. Only you and the inner reality within you can determine the truth of your existence. Don’t allow society, propaganda, and the mass mentality force decisions in your life. You can battle with the ego, the norm of society, and your true beliefs forever if you let it. Step off of their path and onto your own.

I wrote this post back in January and for whatever reason I never posted it, or finished it, but here’s the up close and personal conversation I had with my inner self after a float in the isolation tank.

“There’s something you’re not seeing Mike.” Said my Inner Self as I was looking out into the forest behind my house through a small crack in the blinds that were fully extended and shut. Why was I standing there holding the blinds open with my thumb and index finger instead of just simply opening them?

For most of my life I’ve been a daydreamer. My mind would wander through space and entire conversations unheard because of the distraction of something more meaningful, but what? Now, after a couple months of forced relaxation and self education I can see my inner self was trying to talk to me for over 20 years.

Some people call the inner self their soul or “listening to their heart” and to me, it is the soul or “spirit” and it is a separate entity entirely from our humanoid body just hitching a ride through evolution. We have two self’s, the Ego self and the True (inner) self and for most of our waking lives, they are in constant battle of our attention and control.

My inner self has not been strong enough to fight the ego, it’s a battle I still fight today.

What I was not seeing, as the inner spirit told me through feelings and deep emotions, was there is more to life beyond the status quo and conformity we find ourselves in and much of the anger I hold on to and tension is the result of “doing” more than “being”. Listening to the “way it’s supposed to be” has done nothing for my happiness and evolution of self. When “they” said “Do this or Do That.” they were talking from the ego’s point of view, which in a way may not be a bad thing as it protects us and keeps us alive, but they didn’t take the inner true self into consideration.

We’re exhausted from overwork and stressed from over-consumption and we lack a true deep happiness and satisfaction for our lives. We have the case of “never enough” and “must have MORE” instead of a state of mind that is content with what we have and that is not talking about material possessions. We have a power inside of us that is infinite and limitless but we refuse to accept it or lose against the ego in the battle for control.

My up close and personal conversation with my inner self went something like this:

“There’s something you’re not seeing Mike.” said a feeling that originated deep within the heart. Most people fail to recognize the heart chakra is the entrance through of etheric field which brings us emotions and feelings. That is why we really feel things below our chest and above the belly button.

“What am I not seeing? I know there’s something more, but what?” I said, but I got no response. Just a clutter of thoughts and an annoying itch behind my leg.

Two weeks would go by until my second experience in the flotation tank came around and it was here and then that the inner self would shed light to the reasons behind why I was not content with life, what to do about it, and how to accept the moment.

As I showered, before I sat in the tank, to rid the body of oils and any dirt or dust I may have been carrying around, the feelings of contentment and control became sort of overwhelming and my body began to shake like I was about to go to a new school at the age of 10 in front of people I never met.

Once the tank door closed behind me and I let the body go in a free float the need for a mighty gasp of air took control of my body and everything that was happening in the world around me left my body in an instant.

“What am I going to do with my life? Why am I not happy with all I have?” I asked as a slight sweat appeared from the brow.

At this time in my life I have much of everything I ever could have imagined. Activate Fitness is doing well, I’m married with a beautiful daughter, my son will be here soon, and our life is truly comfortable, but I wasn’t. Why?

As I laid in the tank and drifted into a deep trance, which I mistook for deep sleep at first, all I could feel were thoughts of letting everything go, but letting what go? If you could imagine yourself flying through the inner workings of a fiber optic system or inside the veins of the body as blood cells you can picture what was happening as I floated in the tank and searched for answers. One thought and picture after the other at speeds so fast it would take nearly 3 weeks to figure out what they meant.

Letting go of everything finally came to light when I realized it meant letting go of what I desired through my ego. A nice salary, vacation homes, swimming pools, business programs and much more that really had nothing to do with who I really am. Part of who I am and what I want to bring to the help others was being suppressed and held back against an intense amount of pressure to let free and now I’m releasing it. Helping people through fitness is a blessing I hold true and dearly close to my heart, the passion for it is there and burning bright, but there is more of that help, a different level beyond burpees and push ups, and it was being forced shut by fear, resistance and the ego and my anger was getting the most of my life causing much unneeded pain.

Drifting away in the dark abyss of nothingness and mindfulness, I slowly faded off into the unconscious realm of life. From a never ending thought filled mind into a slow fading of stillness and peacefulness, the reality around me vanished and for an hour I was in oblivion. Floating in the isolation tank. Completely unaware of anything. It was like I didn’t even exist.

Until I ended up wading in waters up to my chest in Thailand. Fishing for Giant Mekong Catfish. There I was, side by side with a 900 pound fish. I grabbed the fish, like I was fishing with a rod and reel and like I was fishing with my bare hands. It was a mix. Unsure of what method I was using the giant catfish quickly pulled me into the fray. My arms felt like they were being pulled out of their sockets. My breath slowly fading away, hard to catch, drowning in a foreign country.

Suddenly, I woke into the real world, excited, scared, nervous, and unaware of my location. Panic set in for a brief moment until I realized, my float would soon be over. What happened? Was I hallucinating like so many people do in the tank? Was I asleep, in a dream, in such a relaxed state of being that my breathing was almost non existent?

With time left in the tank, knowing so by not seeing the lights that come on when finished, I went to work to survey what I had just experienced. It was one of the coolest moments I had inside the isolation tank. It felt like I slept for 8 hours and left this world to visit another place, a different time.

My heart was pounding as a smile spread across my face. Just the experience I was hoping for during my latest float. At an hour and a half the lights came on and I exited the tank, to shower the salts off and head back into reality. Amazed at how my mind and body felt. Completely aware of all my senses, my surroundings, and the calm nature I was in.

The tank is an exciting experience. The only way I can describe it to people who haven’t tried it before is that when I’m inside and floating away there is no body. No stress, no pain, no touch, no sight. Imagine your brain and nervous system were laying on top of water, floating while your limbs, head, eyes, and body did not exist. You were just your brain and the nerves that are attached. Floating in space. That is what it’s like.